I am a PhD student in the SAiGENCI T-cell Immunotherapy Laboratory, supervised by Dr. Mara Zeissig. My project involves investigating the role of precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex cells) in anti-tumour immunity. These cells are the major reservoir of anti-tumour T cells in a patient and expand greatly with immune checkpoint blockade therapy, such as those that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. While such therapies have had great success, patient response to therapy is mixed. My work aims to identify new therapeutic targets on Tpex cells that may be incorporated into a combination therapy with immune checkpoint blockades to help improve results within those non-responding patients.